Book of Common Prayer

Elders

¹⁷ Elders who are good leaders ought to be paid double, particularly those who work hard in speaking and teaching. ¹⁸ The Bible says, you see, “Don’t muzzle an ox when it’s threshing,” and “the worker deserves his pay.”

¹⁹ Don’t accept an accusation against an elder, unless it is supported “by two or three witnesses.” ²⁰ When people persist in sin, rebuke them openly, so that the rest may be afraid.

²¹ Before God, Messiah Jesus and the chosen angels, I give you solemn warning to keep these commands without discrimination. Never act out of favoritism. ²² Don’t be too quick to lay hands on anyone; don’t share in other people’s sins. Keep yourself pure.

²³ You should stop confining yourself to drinking water. Use wine (in moderation!). That will be good for your digestion, and for the physical problems you often have.

²⁴ Some people’s sins are obvious, and walk ahead of them into the courtroom. Other people’s follow them there. ²⁵ In the same way, good works are obvious; but, even when they aren’t, they can’t stay hidden forever.

³¹ He put another parable to them.

“The kingdom of heaven,” he said, “is like a grain of mustard seed, which someone took and sowed in his field. ³² It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when it grows it turns into the biggest of the shrubs. It becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky can then come and nest in its branches.”

³³ He told them another parable.

“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven,” he said, “which a woman took and hid inside three measures of flour, until the whole thing was leavened.”

³⁴ Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables. He didn’t speak to them without a parable. ³⁵ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: